Save a Stallion
Are you ready to take on one of the most challenging and rewarding wild horse competitions in the world? The Kaimanawa Legacy Stallion Challenge returns in 2025 at Equifest, offering professional and amateur trainers the chance to showcase their skills taming and training wild stallions straight from the Kaimanawa Horse Muster. This is your opportunity to create a lasting bond with one of New Zealand’s legendary Kaimanawa horses and be part of an event that celebrates the power of skilled training, trust and dedication.
Kaimanawa Legacy Stallion Challenge
An elite, invitational event in which the nation’s top trainers showcase wild stallions from the annual Kaimanawa Horse Musters.
This year, Kaimanawa Legacy Foundation is honoured to host the Stallion Challenge at Equifest. Over the past decade, this training initiative has ensured almost 100 stallions have been saved from slaughter, as well as shattering the original stereotype that horses over the age of 4-years-old couldn’t be tamed.
Over the past decade, previous stallion challenge horses have gone on to become Grand Prix showjumpers, reliable Pony Club mounts, top liberty and bridleless horses and much loved pleasure mounts. In fact, the bonds that trainers create with these special horses are often so strong that they stay with them for life.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Kaimanawa Stallion Challenge is one of the most challenging wild horse competitions in the world, with New Zealand being the only country to send trainers mature stallions straight from a helicopter muster. In comparison, wild stallions in Australia and America are gelded and kept in holding yards or sanctuaries for at least 9-months before they begin their training.
- Each competitor will compete in three classes, including a Horsemanship, Obstacle and Freestyle class
- Professional trainers (or amateur trainers with a mentor, or previous wild horse experience), aged 18 years or older, as of October 1st 2024, are eligible to compete.
- Trainers received a $1000 KLF Stallion Subsidy to support the costs of purchase, transport and gelding, as well as a $500 bonus if they make it to Equifest.
- Trainers will have had approximately six months to domesticate their mature stallion, before going on to compete at Equifest, one of the largest equestrian events in New Zealand.
FEED2U KAIMANAWA LEGACY STALLION CHALLENGE HORSEMANSHIP CLASS
$800 in prize money
- In this class the horses will complete an inhand horsemanship pattern, working through a variety of manoeuvres. This includes walking and trotting in-hand, rein-back, lunging in both directions and a side pass in either direction.
HONNOR CONCRETING AND LANDSCAPING OBSTACLE CLASS
$800+ in prize money and bonuses
- In this class, competitors are required to complete a course of 10 obstacles inhand. You will be informed of the course on the day and have a chance to walk through the course with a KLF steward immediately before the class begins. The obstacles are to be completed inhand only and you will have 4 minutes to complete up to 10 obstacles.
MANUKA MARVELS FREESTYLE CLASS
$4800 in prize money (includes trainers $500 Equifest bonus)
- This spirited freestyle class will feature up to 15 of the best Kaimanawa horses in the country. Competitors will showcase the talents of their horses during a four-minute routine, which incorporates props, music and costumes. 10 – 12 competitors will be invited to compete, with additional wild spaces available
Thank You to our Sponsors
*If you would like to support Kaimanawa Legacy Foundation by becoming a sponsor at one of our events contact our EVENTS TEAM
